


Break the Ice

by thehazelverse



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Fluff, Getting Together, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-25
Updated: 2015-12-25
Packaged: 2018-05-05 12:54:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5375978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehazelverse/pseuds/thehazelverse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>It all starts with a change of plans; and ends with a change of heart.</i>
</p><p>In which Akaashi stays at Hogwarts over the holidays and develops an unusual friendship with the talented Hufflepuff keeper in the year below him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Break the Ice

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ideallyqualia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ideallyqualia/gifts).



> Hi Volleybird! Here's my hqhols gift to you which I really enjoyed writing :D I thought I'd go with akakage since it's a very cute ship and when I saw you liked hogwarts aus, my mind was set XD (also I was totally stuck on a title and searched songs that had snow/ice in them... so yeah, the title is taken from that Britney Spears song)
> 
> Thank you to the people who listened to me ramble about this fic for hours and helped out ily <3
> 
> Hope you enjoy!!!

For Akaashi, the Christmas holidays are usually a time he spends at home, sitting in the comfort of his own house surrounded by family and taking a little break from the school he has been living in for around six years. Hogwarts is great and all, but nothing can beat the peace and quiet of his own bedroom instead of the rowdy dorm room he shares with a bunch of his Slytherin friends. 

Unfortunately though, both his parents have made plans to travel to Australia for work, meaning if he goes home, no one will be there- Staying at Hogwarts for Christmas seems like the best option, even if a gigantic but empty castle is not really where he wants to be.

Well, at least he can use the peace and quiet to his advantage and get some studying done. He might miss his Ravenclaw study buddy Ennoshita, but he definitely won't miss Bokuto and Kuroo pestering him to join them in yet another extra quidditch practice session. Yes, he loves quidditch but he can’t spend _all_ his time out of class flying around on a broom- not if he wants to pass his OWLs at least.

A dull, cloudy morning sky covers the enchanted ceiling when Akaashi walks into the grand hall. It makes a change to see more candles floating above him than Hogwarts students, sitting on the benches of the four house tables. A gigantic christmas tree sits in the corner of the hall- it adds a more festive vibe to the place.

He doesn’t take his usual spot at the Slytherin table. Instead, he approaches small group of people sitting at the end of the gryffindor one- and just like himself, none of them are in their uniform, so he can’t tell what house any of them are. It’s not like he recognises the students anyway.

But by the looks of things, not many of them seem to know each other either. Everyone is acting too quiet and reserved for them to have known each other for more than maybe ten minutes or so. Akaashi only hopes they will become a more lively bunch; not just for his sake, but for theirs as well.. otherwise they’ll all die of boredom. 

Out of all the grand piles of food laid out for the students (it's not on the same scale of the grand feast, or even regular breakfasts at Hogwarts, but it's still plenty) Akaashi only takes a handful of fruit and a bowl of cereal. It's not that he doesn't appreciate the delicious meals set out for him every morning on the huge, polished oak table; it's just that most of the time, he doesn't have much of an appetite until the afternoon. Having a good, hearty breakfast is something he saves for big quidditch games, to make sure he has plenty of energy.

He makes polite conversation with the girl in the year above -a Ravenclaw- sitting beside him but for a brief moment he feels like there’s someone watching him. His eyes move away from the girl chatting about the trip to Hogsmeade in a week's time, and he finds himself locked under an intense gaze from a pair of dark blue eyes. 

Of course, these eyes belong to a person, and that person is staring right at Akaashi as though he's trying to read tea leaves from divination class.

 _Do I have something on my face?_ thinks Akaashi and resists the urge to wipe away any possible milk moustache he has from his cereal. Or has he maybe done something to offend the stranger? He can't think of anything he's done wrong off the top of his head. However, the boy staring at him is now looking away, obviously realising he’s been caught. A blush creeps up his neck- there’s no doubt in Akaashi’s mind that the guy is pretty embarrassed.

Akaashi doesn’t mind though, as he’s stared into space to find that he was actually looking right at a person plenty of times before. He won't judge someone who's probably done the exact same thing- that would just make him a hypocrite.

Now that he’s actually had a proper look at the boy with the rising blush though, he realises that he _does_ recognise him. It’s Kageyama Tobio, Hufflepuff’s amazing Quidditch keeper- Akaashi hadn’t acknowledged it was him beforehand since he’s in casual clothes, instead of the bright yellow cloak his team wears for games.

He knows his face well from the many matches Akaashi has played over the years against the Hufflepuffs. He has always been amazed at how skilled Kageyama is -even as a first year- despite his initial lack of team spirit. For a year, Kageyama did lose his place as Hufflepuff's keeper when he couldn't work well with the chasers and beaters on the field. To some, he looked like a dictating king, sitting on the throne that was his broom in front of the goal as he yelled commands to his Knights dressed in yellow. But with a little help from of Kageyama's upperclassman, and a little shorty who just took a while to get used to using a broom _safely,_ Kageyama was back on the field, stronger than ever.

Akaashi remembers watching the events of the rise and fall -or rather, the fall and rise- of the Hufflepuff keeper from his own goal hoops with curiosity. He'd always thought that Kageyama looked like a really serious fifteen year old -that he was too grumpy looking to ever do something so endearingly cute as use a cold glass of milk to cool down his flustered cheeks (which is what he’s doing right now.)

 _Cute._ It’s a really weird word to describe someone only a year younger than him if Akaashi is being quite honest with himself, but he can’t really think of any other word that fits.

Akaashi shakes his head lightly at his own thoughts as he finishes his breakfast and excuses himself from the table. Most of the students acknowledge him, though a couple have their nose stuck between the pages of the _Daily Prophet._ Akaashi doesn't want to think of the lies printed out in ink that are being imprinted into their brains.

In his brief glance across the people at the table, he notices Kageyama is suspiciously avoiding his gaze. Is he really _that_ embarrassed? Does Kageyama believe the stereotype that all Slytherins are evil and judgemental? He hopes not, because it’s a stupid stereotype that Akaashi has been a victim of many times, due to his “naturally cold expression.” 

Anyone paying attention will know different, so maybe that is the case- Kageyama has just never been paying attention.

 

After only a few days, Akaashi gets bored of studying in the library and making small talk with the other students. It hasn’t taken him long to finish any homework he’s been given before the term ended, and now he spends his days patiently waiting for the few teachers and staff staying at Hogwarts to organise fun games to pass the time.

Usually when these activities happen Kageyama avoids Akaashi, as though the latter would bite his head off if he glanced for longer than half a second. Akaashi accepts it now that he’ll never make a friend in the rival quidditch keeper, even if he felt a little disappointed at first. No amount of team building games will change that.

Once again though, he finds himself in the library, looking for a book to pass the time with. He traces along the spines of the book covers as he makes his way along the shelfs, considering each title, and whether or not they sound like a book he’ll enjoy. He stops on one that catches his eye; a hardback bound in maroon leather and the title embossed in gold. He takes it out from the shelf and by the looks of it, it’s a fantasy novel- one that sounds right up his street. It’s written by a witch though so if anything, it’s more of a historical drama than a historically inaccurate fantasy novel (not that he doesn’t enjoy a good muggle book now and again).

He’s so caught up in reading the inticing blurb as he walks away from the shelf that he doesn’t notice the other student walking past him, and so he bumps right into them, dropping his book in the process. He steadies the person he bumped into by putting his hands on their shoulders -the book can wait till later- and takes a look at the other student to apologise.

“I’m sorry, that was completely my fault,” he starts to say but pauses when he sees it’s Kageyama he’s walked into, who looks back at him in surprise.

"Umm," Kageyama hesitates and Akaashi has no clue what to do next. Kageyama has obviously been avoiding him for some reason, so maybe he should just let him. He could maybe even do the same.

He goes to pick up the book but Kageyama seems to have the same idea, and their foreheads bump together awkwardly.

 _This is a mess,_ thinks Akaashi as he rubs his forehead and picks up the book before another collision happens. Kageyama looks like he doesn't know whether to run away or apologise, and Akaashi tries not to laugh at how cute he looks.

 _Damn._ There he goes again, calling people he barely knows cute. In his head, Akaashi blames Bokuto and his enthusiasm for taking care of all the owls that belong to the students of hogwarts- as well as getting to know _every single one of them,_ as if they are all his own children.

Dismissing the flashback of a dozen owls following Bokuto through all his classes one day, Akaashi starts step one of his mission: befriend Kageyama Tobio. He promises himself that if step one fails miserably and Kageyama actually feels uncomfortable around him, he’ll scrap the mission completely. Also, it’s not like there are any steps after the first one...

"At least we weren't hit by a bludger on the field, right?" Says Akaashi in an attempt to make light conversation. He makes up an excuse right then that his desire to become friends with Kageyama is because of the mutual position they play. 

Kageyama nods and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah… those can be painful,” he replies. So far, Akaashi can see that Kageyama is a bit nervous and fidgety, but he’s showing no signs of running away. Mission Befriend Kageyama is going well, touch wood.

"You're uhh... You're a really great keeper," Kageyama suddenly blurts out, surprising Akaashi (and probably himself as well).

“Umm, thank you. So are you.” He’s never been that good at dishing out compliments- what's the point in sugar coating it when he can tell it like it is? Kageyama is a really great keeper, end of story.

Within a few seconds, Akaashi comes up with an idea- one that's sure to spark an interest in Kageyama. He plays his best card- Quidditch.

"Would you like to practice with me out on the field some time? I know where the case for the balls is kept, and I’m sure the teachers won’t mind." 

It’s not like there’s anyone else in this goddamn school right now who can fly on a broom well enough to practice with him. Not that he’ll ever say that out loud, because then it would just sound like Akaashi was using Kageyama; only practicing with him because none of his own teammates are around, or maybe even practicing with him to steal techniques. That’s not his intention at all though.

He doesn’t know why he’s going out of his way to talk to the Hufflepuff -maybe because he looks so lonely- but all that he does know is that he really doesn’t want to hurt Kageyama’s feelings.

“You really want to practice Quidditch with me?” asks Kageyama, his voice resembling one of shock, even though the question doesn’t seem that shocking to Akaashi- they’re both keepers who can learn a lot from each other, simple as that.

Akaashi opts out on using sarcasm on Kageyama (for now, anyway) and gives him a small smile, “Of course. I’m sure I’ve got a few tips I can give you from my one year extra experience. And don’t you want to get back on a broom again? It’s been quite a few days since the last school practice sessions.” 

“I was flying on the field yesterday but that’s not the point,” says Kageyama, “wouldn’t your teammates prefer it if you kept all your keeper tips to yourself?”

“Would yours?” is all Akaashi says. When Kageyama doesn’t say anything else, he continues. “Look, Slytherins aren’t the sly, conniving snakes that a lot of people think we are. Just like you aren’t the patient hufflepuff people expect you to be (though I’ll give you credit for being loyal to your teammates.)” He sighs. There’s no point beating around the bush so he may as well be honest. “I don’t mind helping you out, but of course it would be nice if you could return the favour and teach me a thing or two as well. That kind of generosity doesn’t come without _some_ sort of price.”

“I understand,” replies Kageyama and then he bows, “Please teach me, Akaashi-san!”

 

And so the two of them make a plan to meet in twenty minutes at the quidditch pitch; leaving the library to go their separate ways to their dorm rooms so they can put on better attire for outside. 

When Akaashi arrives on the spacious arena of grass with an eager Kageyama already flying high above, he looks up to watch and feels tiny snowflakes land on his face. This is only the start of a bigger snow storm to come, so they should probably take the lack of snow right now to their advantage and get plenty of practice done.

Akaashi mounts his broom and lifts off the ground to reach Kageyama zooming around the goal hoops. He floats high in the air beside the other keeper and holds out the quaffle he tucked under his arm moments ago.

“How about I try and score a goal and you try and stop me,” suggests Akaashi as he balances the ball on his finger (a stunt that can only lead to him embarrassing himself, but hey ho, it’s not like he’s trying to _impress_ anyone.) The quaffle sways in the slight breeze but Akaashi just manages to catch it before it drops twenty feet to the ground.

Kageyama nods earnestly, then makes his way to the middle hoop to get into position. And because Akaashi can’t help himself, he uses all the strength in his arm to throw the ball through the left ring before Kageyama is even ready. Akaashi’s childish actions make Kageyama frown at him, but Akaashi doesn’t see this as an issue at all- Kageyama is being too formal for his liking anyway; even more formal than he is to the head boy, Daichi.

It quickly becomes apparent that the spell ‘Accio’ really helps when throwing a ball through a hoop as neither of them have to fly down to fetch the quaffle in the grass. With the flick of his wand, the quaffle soars back into Akaashi's open palm. 

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist. I’ll wait till you’re ready this time.”

Kageyama’s demeanor -his aura or whatever the hell you want to call it- changes in an instant and a pair of dark blue eyes are locked on the quaffle in Akaashi’s hand. For Akaashi it’s… Something else. Seeing that intense focus up close instead of across the field when he’s playing matches really knocks down a peg or two of his confidence in his skills.

But now isn’t the time for that- he gets ready to throw the quaffle and tries to trick Kageyama by aiming for the left hoop, then changing direction in the last millisecond. It's not enough to fool the prodigy keeper though.

He tries again, only to be blocked by Kageyama which is extremely frustrating for him. He's actually quite embarrassed at how petty he's getting over Kageyama’s keeper skills- is Akaashi not better than that? Isn’t huffing and getting irked what Bokuto does, and what Akaashi tells him off for doing? He takes a deep breath to calm down.

“Okay, I’ll try that again,” he says as he regains his composure. He watches Kageyama’s every move intensely yet calmly and takes aim for the left hoop. He throws it slightly differently than last time, using a particular technique Bokuto has been trying to teach him for a while now. It’s worth a shot.

He shoots, he scores- there’s no crowd around to go wild, but the wind picks up a little, making what could arguably sound like whooping and cheering. He feels quite proud of himself for managing a pretty difficult throw, but he didn’t suggest this practice session to beat Kageyama at Quidditch, he still needs to give him tips and advice. He flies over to kageyama at the goal hoops.

“The secret to that shot is throwing it as high to the top of the hoop as possible without it hitting the metal. You’ve got to make your field of defence higher up so the ball doesn’t pass over your head,” explains Akaashi as he tries to stay on his broom. _Damn, that wind is starting to get stronger,_ he thinks but carries on talking. “How about I do a normal throw, then try that one again so you can see the difference in the technique?”

“Is that Bokuto-senpai’s throw?” asks Kageyama, instead of going along with it. Akaashi nods in reply- it's a less powerful throw than Bokuto’s but a similar technique all the same.

“Is it just me or is that snow getting heavier?” Akaashi almost doesn't hear Kageyama say from a huge gust of wind that knocks Kageyama's hat right off his head. This is probably the beginnings of a really heavy snow storm.

“Let's head back in.”

There's no point in staying out here- even if they're wearing goggles to shield their eyes from the snow, it won’t make much of a difference.

 

Akaashi doesn’t think much of it when Kageyama sits down next to him at dinner so they can continue swapping stories of the matches they’ve played throughout their time at Hogwarts- not until he’s tucked up in his own bed, subconsciously dreaming of short, black hair moving around in the wind and eyes that could burn him to ashes.

 

***

 

“Good morning students!” chirps professor Takeda, "The trip to Hogsmeade is today so I want you all to be on your best behaviour and to please stick with at least one buddy. No one is allowed to wander off on their own, are we clear?”

All the students nod their heads, already looking for people they’ve already gotten to know over the winter break. Akaashi’s first instinct is to look for Kageyama- maybe because Kageyama is the only one he feels comfortable with around here.

Obviously, Kageyama is looking for him too when Akaashi sees his recognisable grumpy face peeking out over a yellow and black woolly scarf- he wonders if Kageyama is smiling behind the garment.

(Come to think of it, Akaashi has never actually seen Kageyama smile… Ever.)

Akaashi hooks out his arm once he's standing side by side with Kageyama, as though he wants the latter to link arms with him. “Shall we get going then?”

Just like he thought, Kageyama gets flustered and moves his arms like he doesn't know whether to link one with Akaashi’s or cross them. Akaashi puts his hands back in his pockets and gives the hufflepuff a small smile.

“I'm only joking, Kageyama, Don't worry,” says Akaashi, his breath showing in the chilly December air. “Hey, would you fancy getting a butter beer to warm us up? I don't think these hats and gloves will do the trick.”

Kageyama nods which causes the woolly bobble on his hat to move around. Akaashi doesn't know whether Kageyama looks ridiculous or adorable in it. 

The constant fall of snow from the past few days has left a white coat on all the rooftops of Hogsmeade, creating the beautiful winter atmosphere that Akaashi still appreciates, even after so many years of visiting the village. All the villagers need to do to top it off is add Christmas displays throughout all the shop windows- Akaashi's personal favourite is Honeydukes’, filled with delicious sweets that appeal to his sweet tooth.

Akaashi and Kageyama walk into The _Three Broomsticks Inn_ and take a table at the window. Usually when Akaashi visits the pub the place is filled with students -some in big groups, others on awkward first dates- but today it’s just himself, Kageyama, a couple of locals and of course, the staff… What a wild crowd.

They order two butter beers which arrive at their table in no time, and Akaashi warms up his hands on the piping hot mug. When Kageyama isn’t looking, he watches the former take cautious sips of the drink, then scrunching up his face and settling the mug back on the table. 

“Too hot?” he asks after taking a gulp of his own butter beer. The slight burning sensation in his mouth doesn’t phase him- he can handle the heat.

“hmm?” Kageyama looks at him with mild confusion, but Akaashi’s now distracted by the froth from the butter beer that has gathered above Kageyama's upper lip. Should he tell him? Probably. But the ‘immature and sly’ side of him (the stereotypical Slytherin part of his otherwise quite polite and reserved personality) has other plans.

(for the briefest moment, the thought of kissing the froth off Kageyama’s lips came to him. But that probably would’ve been Kageyama’s first kiss… and his own for that matter.)

Instead, he reaches over and wipes the froth off with his thumb, then boops Kageyama’s nose for good measure.

Kageyama is the deer and Akaashi is the headlights. Akaashi has never seen anyone more shocked in his life- not even when Bokuto and Kuroo surprised everyone by figuring out how to become Animagi. 

Then Kageyama laughs and the tables are turned. Kageyama has this incredibly goofy laugh that starts off small and awkward like he’s trying to hide it, then turns into borderline cackling with a couple of snorts thrown in. 

“Sorry,” breaths Kageyama, “that was… I just-” he can’t even form proper sentences without snorting.

Akaashi is surprised he hasn't started laughing too- he can’t even drink his butterbeer because he’s too scared he’ll finally laugh and… _oh gosh,_ his face actually feels quite hot. Is that from the piping hot butter beer, or something else?

They lock eyes for a moment and that's when Akaashi knows the whole pub will hear _both_ of their silly laughs. If they keep this up they'll get kicked out, too.

“Will you kids please keep it down?” says one of the bartenders as they walk by. “I know it’s the holidays but some of the locals would like some peace and quiet.”

Akaashi has never been told to ‘keep it down’ before, other than the times he’s been caught up in Bokuto’s and Kuroo’s mess. But then again, Kageyama isn’t the quietest person in the world either- especially when it comes to Quidditch and that small seeker with the bright orange hair.

They drink the rest of their butterbeers in a slightly more subdued manner after being told off, then wrap up in their big jackets and scarves to brave the fierce December air.

The footprints that Akaashi and Kageyama made on their way in have disappeared in another layer of fresh snow. The sound of their feet crunching in the snow makes Akaashi feel content- sometimes, it’s the little things in life he appreciates.

“Hey, Kageyama. Do you wanna head to…” When he realises Kageyama is no longer walking beside him, he stops and turns around, “Kageyama?”

Suddenly, something cold hits him in the face and Akaashi almost stumbles over from the shock. Kageyama is standing there, hiding his grin behind his chunky scarf and Akaashi knows he has most definitely been hit with a snowball. A big mistake on Kageyama’s part, for the hufflepuff doesn’t know that Akaashi is a pro when it comes to snowball fights. 

He remembers the time when Bokuto and Kuroo first challenged him on a day that practice was cancelled. Bokuto got hit so much that Kuroo made a fake grave stone for him out of snow; ‘here lies Bokuto Koutarou. Cause of death- Akaashi’s snowballs’ had been written into the snow with a stick, along with a crudely drawn lenny face underneath.

He’s already reaching for some snow on the ground to make into a snowball when Kageyama starts running away from Akaashi. His laughter is the same as before in the Three Broomsticks as Akaashi chases after him. If he's one of the few people he presumes have heard Kageyama laugh, then everyone else is _definitely_ missing out.

“Hey, come back!” Shouts Akaashi between fits of giggles. He sees Kageyama attempt to turn a street corner, but he slips on the snow on the ground and tumbles into a pile on the pavement- Akaashi jogs over to him.

“You're not supposed to run in the snow,” huffs Akaashi but smiles all the same as he puts out a gloved hand to help Kageyama back up. The Hufflepuff is still giggling to himself and he dusts the flakes of snow off his clothes.

“That snowball fight didn't last long,” remarks Kageyama, trying to stifle his giggling.

His laughter fades away as he takes a step closer to Akaashi to the point where he can easily close the distance between them. Just one step closer and he’ll be able to do it.

The cold snowball that's been numbing his hand as he’s kept it hidden goes right down the back of Kageyama's neck and soaks through his clothes. If Kageyama wasn’t wearing a hat, he would have ruffled his hair as well. 

“Who said it was over?” retorts Akaashi, and the snowball fight starts all over again.

Akaashi didn’t miss the brief look of disappointment on Kageyama’s face when he shoved the snowball down his jacket; nor did he miss his own heart skip a beat from their close proximity.

But what does it all mean...

***

 

The bright orange flames from the fireplace in the Slytherin common room keep Akaashi’s feet warm as he props them on the marble around the fire and lies on the rug with the iPod Ennoshita let him borrow so he wouldn’t get too bored in the evenings. Soft indie music flows into his right ear through one earphone while Kageyama lies beside him with the other one. 

Even though Kageyama is a muggleborn he doesn’t know many of the songs on the device and out of all eight hundred songs, he’s only recognised one so far. Akaashi presumes that music isn’t really Kageyama’s thing, however the soothing vocals and guitar melodies from the album they’re currently listening to seem to relax him, and he taps his fingers along to the rhythm.

At first, Akaashi thought Christmas Eve this year wouldn't be one of his favourites, but now he's starting to think differently. Maybe because he's in really good company.

In all honesty though, Akaashi doesn't know _what_ he feels for Kageyama. He's always thought of Kageyama as ‘quite cute’, as in ‘you're so adorable I just wanna wrap you up in a blanket and hug you’ kind of feelings- apparently, Bokuto platonically feels this way about a lot of people, including Akaashi himself sometimes.

This information _still_ doesn't help Akaashi with his dilemma though, because in the times he moves his hand to the iPod to skip a song and brushes it softly against Kageyama’s hand, which just so happens to be resting _right_ beside the device, his heart rate picks up to the point where it takes a whole song to return back to normal.

Akaashi can lie to himself all he wants, but deep down, he knows he would never do this with anyone else; he would never do what he’s about to do now.

He reaches out again in the direction of the music player and changes the song to the next one, then he tentatively reaches out into the space where Kageyama’s hand lies still. He keeps his eyes closed, his head facing the ceiling and not looking at the boy beside him - _anywhere_ but there- but Kageyama isn’t pulling away or flinching from the brush of his hand, so he goes for it and intertwines Kageyama’s fingers with his own.

The fireplace crackles as Akaashi feels the warmth in Kageyama’s palm heat up his naturally cold one. It’s a little sweaty, just as Akaashi expected, but he doesn’t mind- not when his heart is beating fast enough to shake away all the confusion that’s been rotting there for the past few days. He understands now, and that’s all it takes for him to know what he needs to do; what he _really_ wants to do. 

Opening one eye, Akaashi sees that Kageyama has definitely noticed what’s going on and is staring at their joined hands, open-mouthed. Akaashi gives Kageyama’s hand a light squeeze as he turns his head round to face him properly. The music that was filling Akaashi’s right ear with sweet melodies has disappeared as the earphone falls to the soft carpet- all he can hear now are the sounds of the smouldering fire and their slightly uneven breathing. 

Kageyama is looking at him now, the flames of the fire slightly flickering in his dark eyes. This sudden realisation of his feelings towards Kageyama scare him, but the fear doesn't make him move away; he just has to know how Kageyama’s lips feel against his.

Kageyama's gaze moves down to Akaashi’s slightly parted mouth. Akaashi slowly leans in.

_“Snakes rock!”_

Someone says the Slytherin common room password outside the dungeon door, and if it wasn't so quiet compared to the rowdy mess the common room can usually be at times, Akaashi would never have heard it.

He gets to his feet quicker than he thought possible and drags Kageyama up with him, pulling him into the nearest corridor and hurrying him up the stairs. Whoever it is that’s come into the common room is probably a teacher, since no other Slytherins stayed for Christmas, and if they saw that Kageyama wasn’t in his own common room they’d both get in trouble.

“Alohomora,” he whispers as he points his wand to the door of his dorm room. He nudges Kageyama inside when the door opens then closes it gently, hoping Kageyama has the sense to hide himself.

The stone staircase is cold on his feet as he takes the steps two at a time and goes back into the common room, making his face passive and bored as possible. He wants to get the _‘I’ve been spending Christmas Eve by myself in a dungeon, totally not holding hands with a Hufflepuff’_ look right. there’s nothing he can do about his flushed cheeks, but he hopes Hufflepuff’s head of house, Professor Takeda -who seems to be the one who disturbed them- doesn’t notice.

“Ah! Good Evening Akaashi,” he says when he notices Akaashi standing across the room. “Sorry to barge in like this but I’m looking for a student of mine, Kageyama? One of the Hufflepuffs told me he’s not in the common room or his dorm, and I know it’s Christmas Eve but he should still be sticking to the rules.”

Akaashi shakes his head. “I’m afraid I haven’t, Professor. I’d say I’ll let you know if I see him, but I doubt he knows how to even get down here, let alone the password to get in.”

Takeda sighs heavily and slumps his shoulders. Akaashi feels bad for him- he looks pretty worn out.

“I just don’t understand; Kageyama's a good kid. He’d never run off.” He starts muttering to himself and paces the floor. Akaashi is tempted to leave him to it and just go back to his room where Kageyama is still hiding, but instead he uses his initiative.

“Have you tried searching the Quidditch grounds? He could be out practicing, which… Isn’t really the best idea, especially in this weather.” 

Takeda abruptly stops his pacing, then sprints to the door. “Thank you Akaashi, I’ll look right away!” he yells and runs out the door in a panicked frenzy.

Taking out his wand from his pocket again, Akaashi closes the common room door which Takeda left wide open, then walks back up the stairs to Kageyama.

“You can come out now.”

Akaashi expects Kageyama to appear from the bathroom or even one of the wardrobes, but no- instead he climbs out from his hiding place under one of Akaashi’s dorm mate’s beds.

He gets up immediately, walks over to Akaashi with sudden urgency and places his hands on Akaashi's cheeks. 

He leans in and it doesn't take long for Akaashi's quick-thinking brain to figure out what's going on- he does the same.

They’re both inexperienced, and the kiss is more like Kageyama pressing his lips awkwardly against Akaashi’s and not moving for a minute. It’s the little things that make it right- like the way Kageyama holds onto his face so gently yet so firmly, it’s like he’s afraid Akaashi will move away from him, or the way he draws Kageyama in with a grip on the material of his shirt, or the way they break apart, only to try again. It gets better the more they try, to the point where Akaashi feels shivers run through his body, changing every part of him. Just a few minutes ago he had never kissed anyone; now, he’s kissed one person, Kageyama, and he’s sure there is no other student in Hogwarts he’d rather do this with.

Kageyama rests his forehead against Akaashi’s. _“Finally.”_

A look of surprise spreads across Akaashi’s face. “Finally?” he repeats.

“I've been wanting to do that for… A while,” Kageyama smiles a sheepish smile. “Definitely for a few days now, but maybe longer than that.”

“Have you liked me for that long?” he’s not sure if saying that makes him sound cocky but he has to know if Kageyama has had a crush on him for that long -or even if he _has_ a crush in the first place, because you never know. So many things would make sense, like the way Kageyama has been acting around him- all the blushing and the closeness, like he’s lost all knowledge of personal space. He should have been smarter than this, recognised all the signs not just from Kageyama but the signs of his own heart- Bokuto always says he’s not the best when it comes to emotions like these though.

He sighs contently into Kageyama’s shoulder as he rests his head there, and wraps his arms around him as he says, “yeah. I always thought you were very attractive, but I only really figured out how I felt after I got to know you… H-have you liked me for long?” he asks tentatively.

“I’m still figuring it out actually, but I know I feel _something-_ something in the ‘more than friends’ category, definitely.” He can’t help but blush as he says it, but Kageyama doesn’t see from the position of their embrace. They stay like that for a while, feeling the faint pulse of each other's hearts and thinking about what’s to come of all this. Yet at the same time, not thinking at all, because how can Akaashi focus on anything important now- all that he has in his mind is ‘Kageyama this’ and ‘Kageyama that’- like he’s still in middle school and has a ridiculous crush. There’s something he needs to say though.

“Just so you know, Professor Takeda is looking for you,” murmurs Akaashi. He lets the rest of what he wants to say hang in the air. _I want you to stay here._

It’s not up to him though- it’s Kageyama’s decision, and his reputation as a good student on the line as well. Just as it was Akaashi’s decision to lie to a teacher and use the trust they all have in him to his advantage.

“Why is he looking for me?” asks Kageyama.

“A Hufflepuff let it slip that you weren't in the common room, so I told Takeda to look around the Quidditch pitch for you- that gives you, hmmm… Around five minutes to get back to your dorm before he get’s all the staff out to look for you.”

Kageyama looks alarmed at this information. 

“I-I gotta go now it's,” Kageyama walks backwards into one of the bed posts. “ _Ow!_ Uh, yeah I gotta…”

Akaashi laughs fondly. “Go Cinderella, before your carriage turns back into a pumpkin.”

“.. What pumpkin, wait.. What?” Kageyama looks utterly confused and dazed, so Akaashi does what he thinks will make him calm down -or just make him worse, actually- by putting a hand on Kageyama’s shoulder to steady him and kissing his cheek softly.

Of course, Kageyama’s face goes bright red and he becomes even more disorientated as he has a mental war in his head whether or not to kiss back or just run away. Where was this flustered Kageyama he knows all too well now during their _first_ kiss?

he does the latter, kissing Akaashi’s cheek very briefly then running out the room, forgetting his wand. Akaashi will keep it safe for him though- just like the prince keeps Cinderella’s glass slipper.

The clock strikes midnight. Akaashi picks up one of his fantasy books and curls up in his bed; he notices the romantic scenes in the book are different this time -more emotional. Maybe Kageyama's kiss has changed him, in the worst yet best way possible...

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry for using every cliche used in all of history.....
> 
> Please let me know what you thought in the comments and I hope you have a lovely holiday!!! <3


End file.
